Folate Study
Monitoring folate levels in the Western Australian population – Information for Health Professionals
To increase folate consumption in women of childbearing age and help to prevent neural tube defects all bread products in Australia will soon be fortified with folic acid. Folate can help to prevent up to 70% of neural tube defects. However, it can be hard to get enough folate from food alone.
Mandatory folate fortification of bread is expected to increase blood folate levels in women of childbearing age, resulting in fewer babies with neural tube defects. Folate supplementation will continue to be recommended for all women of childbearing age.
To monitor the impact of adding folate to bread, information has to be collected on diet and blood folate levels in the Western Australian population before and after fortification.
For more information about folate and mandatory fortification in Australia refer to Foodstandards Australia and New Zealand.
How is the information going to be collected?
Although mandatory fortification has been approved, it is not yet in place. Bread-makers have until September 2009 to begin fortifying their products. Now is the time to collect baseline information on blood folate levels and dietary folate.
Over the next few months, some patients attending selected Western Diagnostic Pathology Centres for a blood test will be invited to take part in a study on folate. Posters and information leaflets about the study will be displayed in these centres. Taking part will involve having extra blood taken to be tested for folate and vitamin B12 and the completion of a short dietary questionnaire.
Participants will be informed that results will be sent to their GP, who will be able to advise if they are deficient in folate or Vitamin B12, and provide any required dietary advice.
Patients will also be informed that their folate blood test results and questionnaire answers will be sent (without any information to identify them) to the Office of Population Health Genomics, Department of Health WA. These data will be analysed.
What will the results tell us?
The study will provide current data on dietary folate intake and levels of red blood cell folate, serum folate and vitamin B12 in a sample of the Western Australian population. This information will be collected again in 3-5 years using the same methods in order to assess the effect of mandatory fortification of food with folate on dietary intake of folate and red blood cell folate levels. The study will also show which foods have contributed to the predicted increase in dietary folate and determine whether levels of vitamin B12 are affected by folate fortification.
Who is involved in this study?
This study is a collaboration between the Office of Population Health Genomics (Department of Health), the University of Western Australia, Telethon Institute of Child Health Research and Western Diagnostic Pathology. The study is funded by the Office of Population Health Genomics.
The study has ethics approval through the University of Western Australia.
For more information please contact:
Dr Kate Brameld – Chief Investigator
Phone: (08) 9323 6600
Email: genomics@health.wa.gov.au